16 days until deadline.Upload myself, and create a few copies. Make remote bodies as needed to keep up with my genius.
Upload supersoldier guy too so he can get used to this, give him a remote body to play with or whatever.
Commence EMP hardening research, starting with determining how vulnerable a quantum brain would be to EMP. In any case, the brain itself is unlikely to be the only electrical component in the final super soldier, making everything more rugged, in regards to EMP, is not a bad idea
If my super quantum brain-ness leaves any leftover researching, use it on modularity
How did assistants' testing of Meshanite go? Does it live up to the hype?
Queue new research:
Mind Editing: Move beyond merely copying the mind, study and understand it so memories and personalities can be modified, skillsets and languages downloaded, intelligence upgraded. Also stuff like activating battle-mode where unneeded parts of the brain are suspended to boost "bullet time" even higher. Take full advantage of the digital medium
Heat application: Find a use for all that heat from the nuclear reactor. Weaponization and power generation spring to mind but perhaps there are other ingenious potential uses as well.
Nuclear II: We can go further. More efficient, more compact. Perhaps transferring to fusion instead of fission. Maybe even include an off-switch this time
Myomers + Artificial Muscles: If the brain is fast, the body needs to be able keep up. Faster, stronger, tougher.
Advanced Sensors/Senses: Developing super sensors and wiring them into the Quantum brain, using mind editing to ensure they can handle the input effectively.
Particle Beam II: While already devastating, it could stand further refinement
ECM/ECCM Stay at the forefront of this never-ending war
Stealth Systems: Staying hidden. Will we even get this far?
Supermaterial Armouring: While we're writing a wish list. Perhaps using Meshanite as a basis develop an even stronger while still lightweight material.
Forcefields For the sci-fi touch
Yes! The flesh is weak! It's time to upgrade!
You very carefully set up the update process so assistants cannot botch it up. Every single step is written down on paper and accompanied with easy to understand pictures. No failure is permitted. You are after all letting them kill you with technology made by mad scientist so you can be reborn as superiour being based on technology made by mad scientist. The quantum brain your mind will be uploaded is remotely connected to your existing exoskeleton coupled with pair of cameras, microphones and a speaker.
First injection makes you feel tired and soon you fall asleep in gurney. Then, seemingly instantly later, you become aware of considerable lack of senses. You don't feel tempeeature, no weight clothes on you, no sensation of almost unnoticeable wind on your skin, kinesthetic sense is very ineffective. It startles you first how much you can't sense anymore. All the little things one's brain usually filters away, now you are acutely aware that you
don't feel them. But you can see very clearly, entire field of vision has equal clarity and it makes you feel very uncomfortable. You briefly consider adding blur effect to help transition, but then figure it's better not to feel any nostalgia to weaknesses of your old flesh. All sounds you hear are bass shifted towards lower frequencies, which makes identifying them harder.
Your head turns slowly around as you move your head to get full view of situation. Entire array of assistants has arrived to watch your ascension. Most of them look curious. Some, particularly those who were responsible of dealing logistics of the ascension, have equal mix of worry and hope on their faces. Talking without lungs, mouth, and tongue is quite different. You tell them operation worked fine, then spend many too long seconds waiting as they slowly tell you that you speak way too fast and high frequency, tune it down please. OK, fine. You try again. Might as well add a filter to the speaker to slow down your speech so you don't have to talk intentionally slow, otherwise you might forget what you were saying halfway through.
Testing the remote body reveals that you have to adjust your movement to your faster perception, it's damn too easy to fall over. That will take some time to take used to. Especially with lack of touch and pressure senses it's too easy to break things too. Gotta do something about those first. Second thing you notice is that this body is most certainly made for combat use, not for dedicated science work. Hands and fingers especially are too bulky to fit on keyboard. Gotta do something about that too. Otherwise everything is fine.
Alright! Time to do actual work! You let assistants perform murder/rebirth operation on your prospective super soldier while you do SCIENCE! EMP hardening. Another good thing about faster thinking speed is that you don't actually need to sleep, so you can work all the night 24/7. Which is good because these quantum brains have suprisingly dangerous weakness for EMP pulses. Anyway, it's early morning when you finish a pretty easy to use protection method. It's basically a spray paint. Spray few layers on things you want to protect, let it dry few hours in between and soon it will be well enough protected. Of course it's better to put something to protect the paint so a wind cannot scrape it off.
Uh, meshanite testing? Did you ever actually set it up?
Research in progress:
Modular design
To be researched:
Mind Editing
Heat application
Nuclear II
Fast body
Advanced Sensors/Senses
Particle Beam II
ECM/ECCM
Stealth Systems
Supermaterial Armouring
Forcefields
Research done:
Armored exoskeleton structure
Artificial muscles
Digital brain copy
Electricity driven cells
Particle beam
Meshanite
Myomers
High capacity fuel cell
Quantum brain
Miniature fission reactor
Meshanite production line
High density capacitors
Remote controlled body
Quantum brain II
EMP hardening
Test subjects expired: 19
Butcher some test subjects for brains to create a prototype brain-enhancing system, that could theoretically be carried on a backpack. Shouldn't be too hard to mockup a powered exoskeleton to carry extra brains.
A brain-enhancing system? Using braincases and slave array? And master brain wears the backpack/exoskeleton? Ok. Wonder what I should call that...
Since it is not a combat type all you need is existing blueprints of some some model and branch out from there. The Company happens have few in their posession already so your time is saved. Hmm. Yep, these will do. Electric engines from this, frame from that, sensors and control system will be mix of those. Good. Day goes in the workshop where you build the exoskeleton from scraps and spare parts laying on shelves. The end result is fugly but that's fine, it's a prototype, it doesn't have to be pretty. Tomorrow you'll butcher things.
Research in progress:
Brain-enhancing system - simple
To be researched:
Mind to machine interface - canine adaptation
Mind merging
Artificial muscles
Exoskeleton
Advanced medical procedures
Optical camouflage
Overclocked biology
Slave brain array
Research done:
Stable weapon attachment point and remote aiming designator
Mind to machine interface
Dreamstream
MMI - Data Diver
Braincase
Test subjects expired: 56 (100)
Other victims: 35
OPERATION: HOMEGROWN
Current Objective: obtain a model system for module testing that accepts and integrates TG and other modules within a single day and allows for selective synaptic manipulation.
Step Five: utilizing neurotrophins, electrical stimulation in combination with my understanding of nervous system design, formulate a chemical/electric solution to vastly quicken both neuron growth and synaptic pruning, essentially putting a brain on fast-forward developmentally.
Step Six: ensure a steady supply of apes to be converted into adequate comatose test beds.
OPERATION: WE HAVE WAYS
Current Objective: obtain a fully controllable prototype derived from TG-T that permits either teleportation of a selected volume of matter to another selected place or teleportation of a selected volume of matter to unknown extradimensional areas (the first is preferred, but the second also works).
Question of the Day: is it possible to replace the extradimensional communication capabilities of TG by, say, creating a much better-understood analogue of TG-R and successfully hooking it up to TG-T? Experiment with the test beds.
OPERATION: ALL-SEEING EYE
Improved coordination is essentially an improvement in dexterity.
Current Objective: install a successful master module, or MM, into a human subject!
Step Six: continue the design of the module. Make sure that the module's feedback is adjustable as required.
Step Eight: have the Late Executive Producer's Assistants start training in all manner of combat. Raise their wages to 20k per year each (so a doubling), make sure the imprinting's functional in all of them by telling them I'd be very put out if they tried to leave without my permission. If they're well-behaved, allow them to train outside. If they're excellently behaved, provide them with a restaurant space to work in as a team and an additional raise. Turn them into elite sushi chefs and sous chefs par excellence!
Step Nine: check if there have been any effects on personality from this at least week-long period of mind-sharing. Have their personalities perhaps bled into each other's?
OPERATION: HOMEGROWNWhy you would want apes when you have a plenty of apex primetes already in your disposal? But you ask for apes so apes you shall have. Planet of apes.
This is less about nervous systems and more about old fashioned biology. Basing your work on existing fast grow you carefully think how to make it even better. Hmm, neurotrophin-3 looks potential indeed, but not potential enough. It could be better. It can be made better. BDNF too. New version for both? Or combining both functions for entirely new protein? It could be, it could be...
OPERATION: WE HAVE WAYSAnswer of the day: It could be done, but frankly it's better to ditch TG-R altogether.
Teleporter module effectively. Why yes, watching enemy from far hill and moving portion of their brain onto moon is perfect assassination technique. Basics is already done, so you can separate TG-T design from whole. Little fiddling here and there to remove TG-R dependancy is essential, but getting mind transmit two coordinates and shapes at once is a bit trickier. Perhaps shape could be precoded? Or letting mind choose from few different precoded sizes to keep some utility?
OPERATION: ALL-SEEING EYEMaster module is finished and installed. Do you want him to be assimilated to Late Executive Producer's Assistants group, be on his own alone, or get him mind buddies? Wait feedback adjustable? What?
You tell sweet lies to LEPA about doubling their wage which seems to make them genuinely happy, even if they haven't seen a single cent of it and never will (because HR doesn't pay salary to kidnapped human test subjects). Forbidding them to leave makes LEPA sad, very sad. Completely resigned for their fate. If it affects negatively on their combat training, it certainly doesn't show. LEPA is learning fast, especially martial arts where it trains against itself for maximum effect. Based on that you grant it permission for outdoors training, though guards will always keep eyes on them.
LEPA's personality? No idea. It's not like you personally knew them beforehard. But from what you can tell and what assistants watching them tell you can say its personality is consistant across all bodies. Have their original personalities merged, did one emerge as winner, or is it something new, you can never know.
Research in progress:
Extra fast neuron growth
Teleporter module
To be researched:
Hivemind testing
Research done:
Improved coordination
Improved cooperative bonding
Improved learning ability
Improved reaction times II
Terrible Glory + Analysis
Hive mind
Brain killswitch
Incentive module
Hivemind master module
Major Technologies:
NERVOUS SYSTEM DESIGN AND UNDERSTANDING
Test subjects expired: 35
Other victims: 8
Volunteers killed: 1
air filters and insulation
Considering possiblity of your rivals employing chemical weapons it's utmost importance not a single molecule make it through the suit. Secondary requirement is that it should be comfortable to wear together with an exoskeleton. Modern hazard suits are bulky and uncomfortable things because safety is considered more important than wearer's comfort. Skintight suit would be great, but it comes with stretching problem. Any fibers will stretch and leave larger holes which defeats security. Latex would be great, but it inhibits free movement notably in addition of being rather uncomfortable to both wear and take off. Hmm, what if you could address flexibility and comfortable issues of latex? Multilayered solutiong? It could work... Soft inner layer absorbing sweat and extra heat, second durable layer to reduce chafing and outer layer doing the actual insulation?
Yes, yes! It will work!
Research in progress:
Insulation suit
To be researched:
Reverse chemical formulation
Improved training speeds
Intelligence increasing treatments
Research done:
Layered lighweight armor
Matter annihilation power plant
Dead man's switch
Rail-guns
Exoskeleton
Military armor grade shape-memory alloy
Advanced flamethrower
Test subjects expired: 6
Automatic Research
Alright, ATHATH is gelded. I don't know the why, but here we go.
Actually captured excess carbondioxide can be reacted with this one particular waste material and dumped into normal solid waste ejection system. Easy. Small fans to keep air rotating inside while your soldier is holding his breath added. Rebreather lungs done. Changes required on digestive system are minimal. That's done too.
Progress with hyper eyes continues with equal ease. All kinds of vision modes and filters are rapidly integrated. Tomorrow the last thing to add is extra eyes on back. That might have interesting effects on soldier's psyche. Not to mention that you have to clone extra pair of eyes or preferrably harvest them from someone else, attach new nerves to visual cortex and hope subject can learn to live with four eyes.
Research in progress:
Hyper eyes
To be researched:
Brain integrated chips - Imprinted knowledge
Killing emotions
Associate obedience with joy
Researched done:
Reaction time study
Optical camouflage
Mobile holoprojector
High density battery
Dazzleball
Extended camouflage
Coilgun
Shock absorbent lining
True cyber limbs
Leg enhancements
Brain integrated chips - Improved reaction speed
Improved internal organs
Major Technologies:
True fusion of biological and mechanical technology
Test subjects expired: 34
Sizes of bullets: I don't yet know the maximum size that the handheld launcher could power and reliably launch. Let's do some tests on varying sizes. I'd like to try some 0.1 gram needles - steel, diamond, and tungsten (oh, and meshanite). let's see what each does, damage- and 'not incinerating in the atmosphere'-wise. let's try with one gram as well. for these initial tests, we can power the launcher with whatever power source we have available. Maybe make the needles rifled for control.
how are they held: I think magnetic suspensions sounds the most reliable, unless we had a very, very precise machining system for --- oh wait, we do. Our machines to build nanomachines could probably create perfectly suitable chambers for our rounds. let's try both ways - magnetic lock, and precision chambers.
let's build our brain test chamber - giant MRI - Go!
Finally, let's pick up our energy systems research again. I believe antimatter and full annihilation of matter were our leading candidates? Let's work on full annihilation, as that was supposed to become self sustaining, once suitable energy was invested. In fact, if need be, we can now launch energy collectors into near solar orbit.
We could say the launcher is chambered for about .50 caliber bullet max. Or it could be bigger. A lot depends of volume of the bullet, desired exit speed and battery capacity. Naturally I don't have any hard numbers because we are going primarily by gut feeling here.
Let's see, diamond density is roughly 3.51 g/cm3, steel between 7.75 and 8.05 g/cm3, tungsten is 19.25 g/cm3 and meshanite is about same as diamond. So tungster does most damage simply by having greatest density (it's slightly heavier than depleted uranium). Because CH doesn't give a shit about mass. All it cares about is volume.
Yeah, some of the original and now unnecessary nanite tool production tools could be repurposed for making such holding system. Let's say that's how was done.
Weeell, talking about that psionic and energy stuff. Bad news, or good news, depending how you see it. You see, a new idea came up while sketching plans for MRI. Like how about improving subject's spatial recognition? With a pair of very good eyes subject could subconciously build extremely detailed mental map of his surroundings allowing him notice minute changes and inconsistencies, effectively rendering cloaking technologies useless and detecting motion easily. Good body sense could also make climbing and all kind of motion much easier. Two birds with one nuclear missile! Think about it, soldier would be top grade human radar and super mover, like a magic elf running up falling leaves or something!
You run to your design table and start drawing borderline arcane symbols representing how human brain functions in regards of spatial sense and then changing a thing there and another thing here. Oh yes, this will work beautifully! You could become number one figure skating world champion for rest of your life! Or unbeatable slalom champion! Actually it might be better to take role of a coach and perform brain modifications on others.
Research in progress:
Improved spatial recognition
To be researched:
Psionic powers
Kinetic shielding
Camouflage
Railguns
Multibrain control systems - fixes
Lasers
Nanobot production: Extended raw materials
Armor
Distributed neural networks
Swarm bots
Hunter drones
Large scale modularity
Research done:
Nerve interface
Brain in a jar
Meshanite
Myomers
Highly volatile fuel
Robotic body
!!Multibrain control systems!!
Corrosion resistance
CF launcher
Major Technologies:
Nanomachines
Self construction
Self destruction
Electric manipulation
Kinetic shielding
Structural support
Gray Goo Limited EditionTM
Corrosion resistance
Confundium Harmonizer
Test subjects expired: 24
Today I monitor progress on the combat bodies as well as the three-armed test subject. If I have progressed enough on magnetoreception to grant it to a subject, I do that. For a human it would probably be useful to have detection in the hands and feet, and maybe at various joints. If magnetoreception needs more work, I get that work done and then give the sense to a test subject.
If I have more time after dealing with magnetoreception, I start theorizing about my implantation adaption tech. Our bodies have some sort of biological process they go through as we become coordinated. Maybe I just have to speed that up, or amplify it. Perhaps nudging more neurons into an adaptable state? If I get a working product and the three-armed subject has healed, I give it to him.
Oh, installing magnetoreception on others is easily done. Just standard virus design for altering few cells (gotta actually introduce magnetite particles before hand into cells), an injection and getting new nerve pathways to grow. Simple. Barely even takes conscious effort nowadays. But the man gets magnetoreception on all his joints.
The primary thing about learning is growing new connections between neurons and the annoying fact that human brain actually only learns from success. The old saying about learning form one's mistakes is a total lie. Well, technically not, but new nerve connections are reinforced by success only. So those are your major obstacles;
much faster connection forming, much greater success rewards and breaking failure connections so new ones can form instead.
Rapid connection forming is a nobrainer, your existing fast growth formula can be easily modified and applied here. However the last two problems are what make you stumble for rest of the day. They are not hard, you know it. It's just matter of finding the right idea.
Research in progress:
Post-implantation adaptation
To be researched:
Defense mechanisms
Extrasensory perception
Research done:
Targeted hyper cancer
Inline DNA manipulation
Artificial Siamese Twins
Monster maker
Rapid healing
Extra bodypart attachments
Panacea - Immune system replacer
New nerve pathways
DNA: Codename Tarantula
DNA: Codename Brutus
DNA: Codename Chimera
Nutrient slurry generator
Magnetoreception
Major Technologies:
CELL MANIPULATION AND LARGE SYSTEMS DESIGN
Test subjects expired: 41
"Ow my occipital lobe. What year is this?"
The effects of this probability manipulation may be dangerous. If we had time, that research would be incredibly useful. For now, try drawing fractal patterns with my computer-attuned mind to attain focus.
The molecular sim's been idle since yesterday because the massive burst of mental activity knocked me out and I forgot to give it a new task. Load its old data on superalloy weaknesses back in, and set it to instead find ways to work superalloy. Instead of acid and impact tests, find conditions under which a sheet of superalloy a few micrometers thick can be folded without breaking, and fused with itself. Include magnetic fields of varying strength and vibration at the material's own resonant frequency (or thereabouts) in the tests, alongside the higher range of temperatures since we know low temperatures cause it shatter. If a suitable technique is found, test how it would change if a sheet of intersecting carbon nanotubes was sandwiched inbetween the superalloy foil.
In summation: Find a way to pattern-weld superalloy foil with carbon nanotubes. Project codename: Hyperalloy.
If I have enough assistants that aren't occupied in the build teams, give them the specifications for the supercomputing hardware, and have the Company liaison provide us with the machinery necessary to establish a production line and the requisite power and cooling, which the assistants will then be tasked with assembling and running. If there aren't enough, put the build team projects on pause - so that they'll have their remaining 5 days once the supercomputer is up - and put everyone I have on the task. Have that supercomputer built. Use one of the basement floors to house it, and get the test subject holding cells removed - I'm not using them anyways.
Keep working on the consciousness sim for most of the day. See if I can miniaturize a military optical/thermal sensor to the size of a cellphone's selfie-cam during breaks.
"2016? Oh, I still have time."Mandelbrot should do. Hmm. It's a decent rendition, but the shrine doesn't have enough unscribled space for full fractal.
Simulation parameters set.
Actually your supercomputer prototype is fully built. Entire room is filled with hypnotic fractal design, coolant tubes running in between cracks, twisted crawlspaces that makes you wonder how in the hell you managed to build this. Where did you even find materials for this? Asking assistants doesn't yield any useful information either. Apparently you threw wrenches and sandwiches at them while yelling numbers if they came too close. They learned very quickly not to bother you. So. That's a thing now. Sandwiches.
Where's the display by the way? Keyboard? Mouse? Ports? Hello? After crawling around you find them near center. The display is resting face down between two branches of core modules, cable running out of sight somewhere up. Keyboard is on floor on one side, mouse hidden out of sight in a hole. Hmm. Apparently you are supposed lay on the floor. But the layout requires you bend your spine into 45° angle. What if... ah yes, crawl little further, then back and right leg goes into that opening. Ah, much better. Now where's the power button? This? Nope. That? Oh yes.
The computer hums into life, coolant liquid starts flowing and one tube starts drainging heat troublingly close your junk. Oh well, it's not like you are going to stay here for long. The screen above your face blinks alive and displays short message.
>Operating system missing.
Damn. You shut it down and crawl out. It takes 10 minutes to find the right way. Is this thing changing its layout? You could swear you weren't this directionally challenged before...
As soon as you find your way out of that claustrophobic technohell you find your computer and start deciphering all the new code you apparently wrote yesterday. Okay, this is the old part. This is... what is this? All variables are named with numbers? Function calls are numbers? Oh lord Lucas, why did you do this to me? Okay, deep breaths. Deep breaths. You can do this!
It takes until late night refactoring the code more readable and figuring out what does what. But in end of it you have to admit it is really a work of art. Whatever forces posessed you knew how to write elegant and efficient code. Debugging this will be a real pain in the arse. And best part is that it is almost ready! If only you had lasted few minutes more yesterday... Well, you can finish it now. You implement the final infinitely recursive loop representing circular reasoning and it's done.
You want to get rid of your test subjects? Really?
Research in progress:
Outsourced work:
Main gun - assistants
Sidearms - assistants
Hyperalloy - simulation
Research to do:
Bionic Brain Matter
Wetware AI
Superalloy weakness
Research completed:
Structural skeleton
Myomers
Muscle layout
Cooling
Molecular simulation
High capacity fuel cell
Wear protection
Knowledge Database
Man Machine Interface
Non-Newtonian Kinetic Protection
MMI-computer control
Customized Personal Supercomputer
Consciousness Simulation Engine
Other victims: 1
Ooh! Oh my this is cool.
Stop with the porn and all that, I think it's about reached the limit of its effectiveness. Instead ... I dunno, play a bunch of chess against a computer if the Doc doesn't have anything else for me to do, see how good I get.
Chess is merely ability to calculate possible solutions. Very mathematical. That's not the kind of ability you need. Go is much better option, especially against humans on internet. Requires tactical thinking and seeing lines developing in where they aren't yet. Turns out you learn fast.
How can a field test of a super solider provide any relative measure of its effectiveness if only tested against other super soldiers? Every scientific experiment requires a control group.
I shall be the control. I shall fight the super soldiers in the final battle as a regular soldier!
With GM permission of course.
I have been thinking about that. I'll probably change test order to urban, jungle, winter and add some extra elements there. Being single soldier against these occasionally magical weapons of mass destruction is probably like being an ant in front of tank. How would you feel about being in charge of a company? Artillery squad, snipers,
ninjas commando squad, and regular riflemen? Just asking, no promises.
Train reaction time.
The thing about being a soldier good enough to be permitted volunteer for super secret super soldier project means you are already pretty high body stats. And with reaction time it means faster you become, slower you advance. Diminishing returns and all that jazz. Meaning to say no progress here. Good sweat tho.
((I don't know if i am allowed to join in the game right now.
If i am able to, let me join the game.))
I have eight active scientists and I'm not letting ninth scientist in. Every scientist also has a volunteering super soldier already, but in about two weeks we'll have a name call and then we see how many there are left. There may or may not be openings by then, so stay tuned.
Author
Topic: Roll to create a supersoldier! Bloody air resistance (Read 141366 times)